The Extra's Reincarnation-Chapter 83: Royal Blade Finale (4)

AH!

Marcus stumbled backwards, as his feet barely kept its hold on to the ground. Julian’s relentless assault drove him further and further from the crystal.

Each of Julian’s strikes came within a hair’s breadth of connecting. Even the displaced air itself seemed to cut Marcus’s skin.

As Julian’s sheer speed and power of attacks left Marcus staggering, his mind struggling to process what his eyes were seeing.

He couldn’t understand it at all, how Julian, after 8 full rounds of combat, had seemingly changed over the course of one round.

Julian’s fighting style was simple and predictable, which made it easier for Marcus to score without facing direct attacks from Julian himself. Marcus understood that he wouldn’t win in a normal confrontation, given Julian’s abnormal strength.

But now that he was utilizing his strength to the fullest, Marcus realized the vast gap between him and Julian.

It was like standing at the bottom of a canyon and gazing up at the endless sky above.

The sheer scale of it was overwhelming, leaving him feeling small and insignificant.

BOOM!…BOOM!

Julian moved with an almost superhuman like speed, his body flowing like water around Marcus’s increasingly desperate counterattacks.

It was as if Julian could predict Marcus’s every move before he even made it.

SLIP!

Just within a split second, Marcus misplaced his right foot to evade an attack from Julian.

BAM!

But before he could think of blocking, he saw Julian’s fist connect with his stomach with devastating force.

"ACK!!"

The impact drove all the air from Marcus’ lungs, lifting him off his feet.

Time seemed to stretch as he hit the ground.

THUD!

The impact sent shockwaves of pain through his battered body and he stopped at Julian’s feet.

-Ah… so this is how it ends… I-I’m a failure of a brother…

His vision blurred as he struggled to remain conscious.

As he lay there, gasping for breath, Marcus’s eyes focused on the sky above.

To his surprise, the dome’s ceiling had transformed into a perfect illusion of a clear, blue sky.

Wispy clouds drifted lazily across the azure expanse, so realistic that, for a moment, Marcus forgot he was inside.

He had been so focused on the battle, so consumed by the intensity of the challenge, that he hadn’t even noticed this beautiful detail until now.

"The skies are beautiful…"

As Marcus blinked, trying to clear his vision, the world around him began to fade.

-Brother…brother… brother!

The blue sky above him seemed to ripple and distort, melting away like a mirage. In its place, a different scene began to take shape.

-Wake up, brother!

BLINK!

Suddenly, Marcus found himself transported to a memory from his past.

He was no longer in the grand dome of the Royal Blade Challenge, but in the modest courtyard of his family’s estate.

The sun was setting, painting the sky in brilliant hues of orange and pink.

The voices of his siblings rang out, clear and melodious. Marcus turned to see his younger sister, Elara, her golden curls bouncing as she ran towards him. Behind her came his older brother, Cassius, a warm smile on his face.

"There you are!" Elara called out, throwing her arms around Marcus’s waist.

"We’ve been looking everywhere for you!"

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Cassius approached at a more leisurely pace, ruffling Marcus’s hair affectionately.

"Lost in thought again, little brother? You know, one of these days, your dreams of becoming a great mage might just sweep you away entirely."

"…!"

For a moment, Marcus could only stare at his older brother and younger sister.

They smiled at him happily, as if nothing bad had ever happened to them, a reality he could only dream of. Yet, when he looked at his brother, he was reminded of the night he received the news.

His older brother, Cassius, had died at the hands of the blood moon council on a dark, cloudy night—a group Marcus had yet to encounter.

To this day, he still has not discovered the people behind his brother’s murder.

"Why are you looking at me like that? It’s like you’re seeing a ghost!"

His older brother chuckled, a sound that tore at Marcus’s heart, a sound he had yearned to hear again for countless nights.

"Is this real?" Marcus whispered, his voice trembling with disbelief.

He reached out his hand... but it passed straight through Cassius’s body as if it were made of mist.

"…!"

His face immediately dropped when the realization over what he saw wasn’t real.

This was a memory, a cruel trick of the mind that made sure to remind him of what he had lost.

"No..." he choked out, tears welling up in his eyes. "No, this can’t be..."

He wanted to hold his older brother once more, to feel the warmth of his embrace, to hear the laughter that had once filled their home.

But it was all an illusion, a painful reminder of a past that could never be reclaimed.

"Dreaming of becoming a Royal Blade, are we? A noble goal, little brother. But don’t forget about us when you’re famous!"

Cassius, oblivious to Marcus’s inner turmoil, continued to tease him.

"I know you’ll become the strongest mage ever, brother! You’ll protect us all!"

Elara giggled, jumping up and down into the air as if there was nothing to care about in this world.

Their words, once a source of inspiration, now pierced Marcus’s heart like daggers. He had failed them… failed to keep his promise to not just himself, but to his family.

He had been so consumed by his own ambition, his own desire for strength, that he had neglected the very people he had sworn to protect.

As Marcus stood there, torn between the bittersweet joy of seeing his siblings again and the crushing weight of his failure, the surrounding scene began to shift once more.

The warm hues of the sunset faded, replaced by the soft, silvery light of a full moon. The courtyard melted away, transforming into the lush gardens behind their family estate.

Marcus found himself sitting on a stone bench beside a tranquil pond, its surface a perfect mirror reflecting the starry sky above.

Next to him sat Cassius, older now, his face etched with the wisdom and responsibility that came with being the heir to their family’s legacy.

"You’ve been pushing yourself too hard lately, little brother," Cassius said softly, his voice filled with concern. "I’ve seen you training until you collapse, studying until your eyes can barely stay open. What’s driving you so fiercely?"

Marcus felt a lump form in his throat, the words he wanted to say caught between past and present.

"I... I want to be strong enough to protect our family. To make you proud."

No matter what he had said, it was only him acting based on his memory.

He could only watch as he spoke without a thought.

Cassius smiled, a gentle, knowing expression that seemed to see right through Marcus’s bravado.

"You’ve always been so determined, so focused on your goals. It’s admirable, truly. But sometimes, I worry that you’re losing sight of what’s truly important."

A cool breeze rustled through the garden, carrying with it the sweet scent of night-blooming jasmine. Fireflies danced over the pond’s surface, their soft glow mirroring the stars above. In this moment of tranquil beauty, Cassius’s words seemed to carry a weight beyond mere brotherly advice.

"Strength isn’t just about magical power or combat prowess, Marcus... True strength comes from knowing who you are, what you stand for, and who you’re fighting for. It’s about having the courage to follow your own path, even when it diverges from what others expect of you."

Marcus felt tears welling up in his eyes, feeling more than just gratitude for his dead brother’s wisdom and regret for the time they would never have together.

"But how can I know if I’m on the right path? How can I be sure I’m making the right choices?"

Cassius placed a hand on Marcus’s shoulder, his touch warm and reassuring.

"The truth is, you can’t always be certain. Life is full of twists and turns, of course, you’ll have trouble here and there... But that’s the beauty of it. Each choice you make, each obstacle you overcome, shapes you into the person you’re meant to be."

As Cassius spoke, as the surrounding garden seemed to come alive with magic.

The flowers glowed with an ethereal light, their petals shimmering with every color imaginable.

The water in the pond began to swirl gently, forming intricate patterns that danced in harmony with Cassius’s words.

"Remember, little brother, what you want to be in life should only be up to you,"

Cassius said, his voice growing softer, more distant.

"And even when you’re lost and you don’t know where to go, just remember... remember who you’re doing this for..."

As Cassius’s final words echoed through the garden, the magical scene began to fade.

The colors dimmed, the lights flickered out, and Marcus felt himself being pulled back to reality.

When Marcus opened his eyes once again, he found himself back in the grand dome of the Royal Blade Challenge.

Everything he had experienced almost felt like a dream he had longed to see.

Although his brother was no longer around, he still had his mother, father, and sister.

[2 Minutes Remaining.]